As the words of King Goshtasp regarding the insolent demands of Arjasp reached their ears, Zarir the commander—bold as a prowling lion—and the mighty prince Esfandiyar leapt to their feet. Unsheathing their gleaming blades, they swore a sacred oath: if anyone across the broad earth should refuse the Good Religion, turn away from absolute obedience to the crown, or fail to bind his waist before the luminous throne, they would sunder his soul with the sword and hang his severed head high upon a gallows.
Then Zarir, Iran’s matchless general, stepped forward in noble fashion and craved the King's leave to draft a reply to Arjasp the sorcerer. King Goshtasp rejoiced at his brother's fierce eagerness and commanded him to rise, write the missive, and bring shame upon the warlords of Khallakh.
Noble Zarir, the blessed Esfandiyar, and Jamasp—the wise and intrepid vizier—withdrew together, their brows furrowed with vengeance and their hearts dark with wrath. They set pen to parchment, crafting an answer so formidable and harsh that it perfectly matched the insolence of Arjasp’s original letter. Zarir carried the unsealed parchment back to the throne and read it aloud; King Goshtasp was astonished and thrilled by the swift wisdom of his commander, his vizier, and his son. Sealing it with the royal signet, he inscribed his name upon it and summoned the envoys of Touran into his presence.
With fierce majesty, Goshtasp cast the letter before them and thundered: 'Take this and speed unto your master; linger not upon the road! Know this: were it not for the divine decree of the Avesta and Zand granting immunity to envoys, I would rouse you from your slumber and hang you alive upon the gallows, so that wolf-hearted Arjasp might learn never to raise his neck against the King of kings!'
Throwing the parchment to their feet, he commanded: 'Go! Carry this to the sorcerer Turk! Tell him that his doom is at hand, and his body hungers for blood and dust! May the wind strike your neck, your waist be pierced with steel, and your bones cast onto the barren soil! If God wills it, within this very month I shall don my iron mail, march my armies into the realm of Touran, and reduce the land of the Wolf-heads to utter ruin!'
#1
همان چون بگفت این سخن شهریار
✦
زریر سپهدار و اسفندیار
“As soon as the King had spoken these words, Zarir the commander and prince Esfandiyar,”
#2
کشیدند شمشیر و گفتند اگر
✦
کسی باشد اندر جهان سربسر
“Drew their swords and declared: 'If there be anyone throughout the world,'”
#3
که نپسندد او را به دین‌آوری
✦
سر اندر نیارد به فرمانبری
“'Who accepts not this Good Religion, nor bows his head in absolute obedience,'”
#4
نیاید بدرگاه فرخنده شاه
✦
نبندد میان پیش رخشنده گاه
“'Who comes not to the blessed King's court, nor binds his waist before the radiant throne,'”
#5
نگیرد ازو راه و دین بهی
✦
مرین دین به را نباشد رهی
“'Who strays from the path of the Good Faith, refusing to let this noble creed guide him,'”
#6
به شمشیر جان از تنش بر کنیم
✦
سرش را به دار برین بر کنیم
“'We shall sever his soul from his body with the sword and hang his head high upon a gallows!'”
#7
سپهدار ایران که نامش زریر
✦
نبرده دلیری چو درنده شیر
“Then Iran's commander, whose name was Zarir—a battle-proven warrior like a tearing lion—”
#8
به شاه جهان گفت آزاده‌وار
✦
که دستور باشد مرا شهریار
“Spoke to the King of the world in noble fashion: 'If the Sovereign grants me permission,'”
#9
که پاسخ کنم جادو ارجاسپ را
✦
پسند آمد این شاه گشتاسپ را
“'I shall write the reply to Arjasp the sorcerer!' And King Goshtasp approved of his request.”
#10
بدو گفت برخیز و پاسخ کنش
✦
نکال تگینان خلخ کنش
“The King said to him: 'Rise and answer him, and bring utter shame upon the chieftains of Khallakh!'”
#11
زریر گرانمایه و اسفندیار
✦
چو جاماسپ دستور ناباک‌دار
“Noble Zarir and prince Esfandiyar, along with Jamasp, the fearless vizier,”
#12
ز پیشش برفتند هر سه به هم
✦
شده سر پر از کین و دلها دژم
“Departed from his presence together, their heads full of vengeance and their hearts grim.”
#13
نوشتند نامه به ارجاسپ زشت
✦
هم اندر خور آن کجا او نوشت
“They wrote a letter to ugly Arjasp, fittingly matched to the missive he had sent.”
#14
زریر سپهبد گرفتش به دست
✦
چنان هم گشاده ببردش نبست
“Commander Zarir took it in hand and brought it open, unsealed, before the King.”
#15
سوی شاه برد و برو بر بخواند
✦
جهانجوی گشتاسپ خیره بماند
“He presented it to the King and read it aloud; world-conquering Goshtasp was filled with wonder and delight.”
#16
ز دانا سپهبد زریر سوار
✦
ز جاماسپ و ز فرخ اسفندیار
“Deeply impressed by wise Zarir, the general, by Jamasp, and by blessed Esfandiyar,”
#17
ببست و نوشت اندرو نام خویش
✦
فرستادگان را همه خواند پیش
“He sealed the letter, wrote his royal name upon it, and called all the envoys before him.”
#18
بگیرید گفت این و زی او برید
✦
نگر زین سپس راه را نسپرید
“He said: 'Take this and deliver it to him; beware that you do not linger on the way!'”
#19
که گر نیستی اندر استا و زند
✦
فرستاده را زینهار از گزند
“'For were it not that the holy Avesta and Zand forbid harm to ambassadors,'”
#20
ازین خواب بیدارتان کردمی
✦
همان زنده بر دارتان کردمی
“'I would rouse you from your sleep of negligence and hang you alive upon the gallows!'”
#21
چنین تا بدانستی آن گرگسار
✦
که گردن نیازد ابا شهریار
“'So that wolfish Arjasp might learn never to stretch his neck in defiance against the King!'”
#22
بینداخت نامه بگفتا روید
✦
مرین را سوی ترک جادو برید
“He threw the letter to them and said: 'Go! Carry this to the sorcerer Turk!'”
#23
بگویید هوشت فراز آمدست
✦
به خون و به خاکت نیاز آمدست
“'Tell him: Your doom has drawn near; your body is in need of blood and dust!'”
#24
زده باد گردنت خسته میان
✦
به خاک اندرون ریخته استخوان
“'May the wind strike your neck, your waist be pierced, and your bones scattered in the dust!'”
#25
درین ماه ار ایدونک خواهد خدای
✦
بپوشم به رزم آهنینه قبای
“'Within this month, if God so wills, I shall don the iron coat of mail for battle,'”
#26
به توران زمین اندر آرم سپاه
✦
کنم کشور گرگساران تباه
“'And lead my armies into the land of Touran to lay waste to the realm of the Wolf-heads!'”